Call Santa! RSPCA in Telford rescue deer trapped in netting
Christmas was almost cancelled when this deer got caught in netting - leaving Father Christmas one short to pull his sleigh.
The young buck was actually a roe deer, not a reindeer, and staff at Horsehay Village Golf Centre spotted him in distress and called in the RSPCA to help get him free.
Nayman Dunderdale and Dave McCartney came to the aid of the young buck when he got his antlers tangled in netting at a golf club on Wellington Road.
The pair arrived at 8.30am on Monday.
Inspector Dunderdale said: "The young roe deer was very distressed and frightened. He was thrashing around and jumping about trying to free himself from the netting - but was stuck fast.
"We managed to throw the netting over him and pin him down on the ground. Although he was only a youngster, he was a healthy, strong male so it took both of us to straddle him to keep him still while we carefully cut the netting from his antlers."
It was a hole in one for the brave inspectors who managed to free the deer from his predicament.
"As soon as he was free, he jumped straight up onto his feet and raced off into the distance," inspector Dunderdale added.
"It was great to see him running off without any injuries following his ordeal."
The RSPCA urges those using netting for sports to remove and store all nets after their game, and asks that any discarded netting is safely placed in a bin.
Other forms of garden netting, like pond or fruit netting, can be a real hazard to wild animals like hedgehogs and the RSPCA recommends replacing these with solid metal mesh.
If you spot an animal which is trapped, in distress, or in need of help, contact the RSPCA's 24-hour cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.
